Minamoto

The Minamoto, also called the Genji, were a samurai clan of the Heian Empire era of Japan. They were one of the three major families of Genpei War Japan (1175-1206), and after wars with the Taira and Fujiwara families, they established the Kamakura Shogunate.

History
The name "Minamoto" was a surname bestowed upon members of the Imperial family who were promoted to nobility, and the family became large in number, eventually controlling most of central Honshu. From this family came the Taira and other branches of the family, and most of Japan was related to either the Minamoto-Taira or the northern Fujiwara clan.

In the 1000s, the Minamoto clan achieved high rank in the Japanese Imperial Court, with Minamoto Yoshiie crushing the Abe in the Early Nine Years' War and crushing the Kiyowara in the Later Three Years' War. The clan worshipped bushido and zen, and they were known as fierce warriors who lived for battle and fighting. They displayed their skills in the Heiji Rebellion, trying to overthrow the Taira clan unsuccessfully, and again in the Hogen Rebellion, where they were again defeated, but showed their valor. In the 1180s Genpei War they got their revenge; although they lost the first half of battles, they won in the end and defeated the Taira. In 1189 the Minamoto invaded the lands of the Fujiwara, and completed their dominance of Japan. In 1192 they founded the Kamakura Shogunate, and they ruled Japan until 1333.